


New Neighbors, New Beginnings.

by OldWorldBlues



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:21:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldWorldBlues/pseuds/OldWorldBlues
Summary: Modern AU.Blackwall has been living on his own for over a year. He's slowly trying to overcome the sins of his past. Suddenly one day he gets a new neighbor with an impossibly bright smile. Will he let himself enjoy her company or will he continue to brood about his shortcomings?





	1. Chapter 1

_It’s going to be a good day_ , Blackwall thought to himself.

  
He stood in front of his window and enjoyed the view while drinking his coffee. He normally didn’t have time in the morning, but yesterday his boss urged him that he didn’t need to come into work early the next day.

  
_“You’re working too hard” said Bull. “I know why you like to help out every old lady with a sob story, but it’s not necessary.”_

  
_“But—” Blackwall stammered._

  
_“No,” Bull interjected. “Honestly, you’re working too hard. If you showed up at the crack of dawn there would be nothing to do. I’d get here and you’d be scrubbing every inch of the bathrooms”_

  
_“When was the last time they were cleaned?” Blackwall murmured to himself and Bull chose to ignore it._

  
_“Look,” Bull said. “Taking a chance on you was possibly one of my best decisions.” His grin grew wider, he loved to praise himself. “You work hard as hell and it shows. It’s been over a year since you started and, at first, I thought you were just overcompensating because of your past.” Blackwall’s shoulders instantly slumped and he quickly turned his head to check that the door to Bull’s office had be closed._

  
_“Blackwall,” Bull said in the most serious tone, “You need to stop spending all of your time here. Figure out your personal life. Hell, meet a nice girl. Or...” He paused and a mischievous smile spread across his face. “Just go out and fuck a nice looking girl. That ought to lighten your mood.” Blackwall’s eyebrow raised. He was not nearly as amused as Bull was with himself. He sighed._

  
_“I don’t do tha—”_

  
_“Honestly,” Bull interrupted “I don’t care what you do with your time. But, you will not show up early to work tomorrow. Is that understood?”_

  
_Blackwall sighed, “Of course.” This conversation was a long way coming; Bull seemed to get more and more frustrated that he just wanted to avoid his problems by working._

  
_Bull started to chuckle, “Hell, do me a favor and even come into work a late tomorrow. The other guys here have started to slack off a bit since they think you’ll do everything now. Having you not being here on time ought to spook them into getting some actual work done.”_

Blackwall gulped down the last of his coffee. As he cleaned the mug in the sink he glanced at the clock.

  
If I leave now I’ll still get there early. He thought. The last thing he wanted to do was test Bull’s kindness anymore. He owed the man everything he had. After placing the mug on a drying rack and drying his own hands he began to aimlessly scratch his chin.

  
_I guess I’m overdue for a trim._ He thought as he walked to his bathroom. He leaned into his reflection in the mirror and gave his beard a full examination. He sighed deeply and opened the drawer to his trimmer. _At least it should pass the time._

* * *

  
Twenty minutes later he finally made his way out of his apartment. He had done pretty much everything he could in there to pass time, and He was currently thinking of other ways to stall his commute to work.

  
Suddenly he tripped. After a few stumbling steps he stood up straight and looked to see what caused him to lose balance.

  
“A door mat?” He asked even though no one was in the hall to witness his fall. For the longest time no one lived on this floor but him and now it looks like he has a new neighbor. Even though the view was beautiful not many people wanted to live on the top floor of a building that was rumored to have a broken elevator once or twice a month. He never noticed it himself but that was most likely because he only used it early in the morning or incredibly late at night. He didn’t notice the new mat last night, but that may have been because of his sour mood after being scolded by Bull. He looked to see if the door the mat was in front of had a nameplate, but it was empty. _I guess they must have just moved in._ he thought as he made his way to the elevator.

  
He stood in front of the apartment building deep in a conversation to himself.

  
_If I leave now I should get there on time. Surely Bull will be happy I managed to hold myself back this much._ He thought as his eyes darted around the block trying to find something that would help him decide what to do. He eyed small shops and more than one cafe or coffee shop he could easily step in and grab a bite. Despite his apartment’s great location in the up and coming outskirts of Denerim he hardly ever explored the area. Either he was working too much or he was just afraid of getting lost. Or getting recognized. As he tried to shake away that dark thought he heard something coming up next to him.

  
“Woooah!” Someone shouted.

  
Blackwall turned to see what in an instant looked like a pile of boxes with legs and then he realized the boxes were falling toward him. Without thinking he reached up to grab the top two boxes that were about to fall over.

  
“I’ve got ‘em” He said as he balanced the boxes and gently placed them on the ground. After a moment he took a deep breath to ask if the person was ok.

  
“Thank the maker you were there!” A surprisingly happy voice said. Blackwall lowered the boxes he was holding to reveal a woman with a beaming smile on her face. “I knew I was testing my luck by trying to carry the last and most important boxes by myself. But, at least you were right here to save the day.” She took a deep breath.

  
With the boxes out of the way Blackwall tried to get a good look at her. She stood just a few inches shorter than him and her chestnut hair was tied tightly into a bun. Once he noticed the bright shade of green her eyes were he realized he’d been staring.

  
“It was no problem at all.” He coughed out awkwardly, but after a moment he noticed he was starting to smile too.

  
“Well, I think I can handle the last bit of my journey now that I’ve caught my breath.” The stranger said as she lifted the box she was holding to imply that she was ready to carry the entire stack again.

  
“Wait,” Blackwall said a bit too quick and loud. “You moving here?” He asked. She gave a quick nod and suddenly he thought this is it. He cleared his throat, “I live here too. I can help carry the rest of these in for you.”

  
“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to give you any more trouble. You’ve helped so much as it is.” She said.

  
Blackwall suddenly picked the boxes from the sidewalk and said, “It’s no problem. You did say these were the most important boxes, right?” He raised his eyebrow in a teasing manner. She was quiet for a moment and Blackwall worried that he overstepped his boundaries .

  
“Oh, who am I to turn down a handsome man offering to help me” She said as she smiled wide and started to gleefully walk towards the entrance. Blackwall quickly picked up the remaining boxes and followed her.

  
Once in the elevator he noticed she hit floor twelve.

  
“Oh,” he said in an inquisitive manner. “Floor twelve. You must be my new neighbor.” He chuckled softly, “I almost tripped on your door mat this morning.”

  
“Oh Maker! I am so sorry!” She said in a worried tone. “I didn’t mean to cause any harm. Did I not put it in the right—”

  
“It’s fine” Blackwall interrupted. He honestly meant it as a joke. If he knew she’d she so worried about it he probably wouldn’t have brought it up. “I was my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m fine, really.” He looked her in the eye to prove his point but she looked genuinely troubled about it.

  
“I had just gotten so used to no one else living on this floor and it caught me by surprise.” He noticed that her worried look slowly disappeared. The silence filled the elevator until it chimed and the door opened. She walked out in front of him as if to lead but he refrained from lightly teasing her that he already knew which door was hers.

  
Now that he could see her without boxes blocking his view he noticed how slender she looked. But, he averted his eyes to avoid ogling her. _That’s not you anymore,_ he thought. She placed the boxes down front of her door and attempted to open the door with the key. After a few seconds of seeing her trying to not sound frustrated he placed his boxes down and stood next to her.

  
“These locks are a real pain at first,” He said while gesturing for her to let him give a go. “You have to turn the key a bit farther than you think, but once you get used to it it’ll be second nature.” As the lock clicked he turned to her with a smile.

  
“Well, you’ve saved me twice today.” She said.

  
“I was no problem. I’m happy to help whenever I can.” He said in return. “Would you like help carrying them in?”

  
“I should be able to handle everything from here. Again,” she paused. “Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it.” There was something about the tone of her voice that made him believe she really was grateful. Or maybe it the way her eyes looked at him; they seemed almost impossibly green. Suddenly her smile faltered a bit and he realized he’d been staring again. He looked away and coughed to break the silence and he happened to glance at his watch.

  
“I should get going.” He said and he looked to try and see her reaction. _Why in Thedas would she react to you leaving? Get over yourself_. She leaned down to pick up a box and nodded her head politely.

  
“Thank you so much,” she said again. Blackwall waved goodbye and turned to head back to the elevators.

* * *

  
He walked into the entrance of The Iron Bull Mechanic only twenty minutes late.

  
“Well, well, well,” said a familiar voice.

  
“Hello, Varric.” Blackwall replied. Varric was a skilled mechanic but Blackwall mostly saw him running the front desk. Maybe it was because he had a gift charming and keeping the customers cool. Or, more likely, he wanted an opportunity to hit on any woman that needed an oil change.

  
“I honestly can’t believe it.” Varric said in a fake concerned tone. “The star employee is late. Could it be he had too much to drink last night? Or maybe it was a woman. Come on, Hero. What’s her name?” Blackwall sighed and began to try and explain that their boss basically demanded him to take a break, but all of a sudden he froze as he realized.

  
“Crap!” he shouted. And, Varric’s face instantly shifted from faux-concern to genuine intrigue. “I forgot to ask her her name!”


	2. Chapter 2

Over the last week every time he walked past her door her nameplate would seemingly gleam at him. 

“Marian T.” he would read as he passed by it yet again. 

_Marian. It was such a lovely name._  

Blackwall couldn’t understand why he had this urge to see her again. All she had done was smile at him a few times. The old him probably would have propositioned her the moment he opened her door. Or, more likely, a few seconds after she literally bumped into him.

_The old him._

Blackwall sighed and tried to shake those thoughts out of his head. He was moving on. Or, at least trying to. He started to trim down his work schedule to something reasonable instead of spending every waking moment there. He could tell Bull noticed but he never said anything. Varric, on the other hand, was a merciless tease. Asking Blackwall whenever he could about this mystery woman, but Blackwall never responded.

Because he didn’t have any information to begin with.

He got into the elevator and hit “ground” and he stood there trying not to think about Marian. He could sometimes hear her scurrying about through the wall that separated their apartments. He even considered just knocking on her door and act neighborly; like seeing how she’s settling in or asking to borrow a cup of sugar. _Cup of sugar, what a foolish thought_.

What frustrated Blackwall the most was that he didn’t even really understand why he was spending so much time thinking about her. Maybe it was because he’s been alone for so long or because...

He just wanted to know more about a person that smiles that brightly.

He sighed as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. After a day or two he tried to stop himself from scanning the entryway in hopes of bumping into her again. Stepping out the sidewalk he felt a cool breeze. Spring was quickly turning into summer and even though Denerim’s summers weren’t as bad as Kirkwall’s he decided to take time to enjoy the weather by walking to work.

* * *

Blackwall entered The Iron Bull Mechanic and was relieved that Varric wasn’t in the front. He didn’t feel like dealing with another pointless interrogation. Fortunately, Krem was manning the front desk.

“I don’t believe it,” said Krem. Blackwall paused right before entering the locker room and sighed. He thought he was safe from Krem.

“....What?” said Blackwall.

“I didn’t believe Boss when he said he convinced you to cut back on hours.” Krem laughed softly. “I thought we were going to find you sleeping under a car once or twice. I’m glad you’re finding other things to do instead of working for this bastard.”

“Yeah, yeah” Blackwall nodded as he opened the door and walked into the locker room.

* * *

 

The next day was Saturday. Blackwall didn’t like weekends.

Having free time to him was just an invitation to think about his past. If his hands were busy his mind couldn’t wander. Maybe Bull was right, maybe he needed a hobby. He sat on his porch attempting to read a book Varric gave him weeks ago. It was almost midday as the sun shined down on Denerim, but Blackwall couldn’t enjoy the view. After re-reading the same sentence several times he closed the book and started to stand up to go back inside. Maybe I could watch some tele—

“Andraste’s flaming sword!”

Blackwall looked over to see his neighbor’s porch screen door slam open and a very frustrated Marian stomping outside. She practically threw a tray of something onto a small table and stomped back inside. Blackwall wasn’t sure what to do. He could just go back inside like planned, but would that mean missing an opportunity to talk to her? After a moment he stood up and walked to the other side of his porch to get a closer look at what was bothering his neighbor so much.

He could make out small burnt disks of something on the tray until she suddenly stepped back out while fanning out smoke. He could hear her mumble words like “stupid” and “burnt”. She seemed distracted as Blackwall allowed himself to take in her appearance.

She looked more disheveled than the first time he saw her. Her hair was still pulled back, but this bun was much more haphazard. She was wearing a light grey linen apron with several faint handprints in flour staining the front. Underneath a simple white shirt that looked a size or two too big for her and a baby blue knee-length skirt.

Suddenly she turned her head and noticed Blackwall. She nearly jumped straight up off the ground surprise and started to laugh.

“Maker’s breath!” She said while trying to calm herself down. “You scared me. I hope I didn’t cause a scene.” She smiled.

“I was just trying to see what could possibly frustrate a young lady like yourself” He said while leaning more on the railing.

“It’s this...” she said while hitting her fist lightly on the burnt tray “damn oven. I’ve burnt three things in less than a week. It must be cursed!” She raised her arms high up as if to prove her point. Blackwall chuckled and his eyebrow raised.

“How certain are you that it’s just the oven?” He said in a teasing manner, but the look on her face suddenly turned cold.

“I.don’t.make.mistakes.” Her eyes narrowed, “Ser.”  Blackwall stood up straight in an instant. He didn’t know how to respond.

“I-I didn’t mean—” He stammered.

“I kidding!” She shouted and her face turned warm again until she suddenly narrowed her eyes again. “.... Mostly.”

Blackwall let out a bit of an awkward chuckle. Now he really had no idea what to say. He burned food all the time and was just trying to make small talk. He opened his mouth to try and amend this situation, but...

“Fine, you don’t believe me.” She dramatically said while throwing one arm into the air and right forearm against her forehead. “It looks I have no one to share the few surviving cookies with.” After one theatrical turn she lifted her eyes to his and gave him a silent invitation. Blackwall sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“If you need some assistance I’d be happy to help.” He said as his eyes met hers. Instead of the smile he’d becoming accustomed to seeing she smirked.

“I can never turn down a handsome man offering to help,” she replied. Blackwall was blindsided by the compliment. “Come right over.”

In an instant he was standing in front of her door. How long was too long to wait to knock? Would he seem off-putting if he arrived to quickly? As he lifted his hand to knock the door opened.

“I don’t believe we’ve formally introduced ourselves” She said while reaching out for a handshake.

“Blackwall, it’s nice to meet you.” He said as he shook her hand firmly.  
“Marian,” she smiled and replied. “Marian Trevelyan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, so a few people are actually reading this. Cool! I'm wondering if people prefer just uploading chapters as I write them or if I should add them on a schedule like once or twice a week? If you have a preference let me know. This is the first time I've every really attempted creative writing on my own and I hope that's not too obvious. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Blackwall felt strange walking into an apartment that was the exact same layout as his, but mirrored. The door opened into a small foyer and to the right was an open kitchen with an island counter and a set of stools for seating. Past the kitchen was the living room. A white couch sat against their shared wall with a coffee table in front. Across from the couch sat a tv flanked by bookshelves. Past the couch was the sliding windows that lead to the porch and basking in the sunlight stood a plant stand with several types of plants and flowers in assorted pots. Off to the left he recognized the doors that should lead to the bathroom and bedroom.

His first thought after one look was that Marian’s apartment wasn’t just clean, it looked like an example of what an apartment should look like. Was she expecting company? Or was her place always this quaint? Aside from a few baking ingredients on the kitchen counters, this place seemed immaculate. Her decor was mostly white from the carpet to shelves, but each room seemed to have a “pop” of color. Somehow she managed to find all of her kitchen countertop appliances in red. While there were splashes of yellow and blue with several throw pillows, a chair, and a few framed pieces of art on the walls.

“Maker,” Blackwall said while stepping in. “You’ve made yourself quite comfortable here.”

“Thank you,” Marian replied with a smile. She motioned for him to sit at the stools against the kitchen island. As he sat she moved quickly to present a plate of 6 unharmed brown cookies that looked to have chocolate and a few other things baked into them.

“These were the only survivors of the massacre.” She said with a flourish of her hands. Blackwall expected her to at least describe what he was about to eat, but when he looked at her she just looked back expectantly. He grabbed the nearest one and took a small bite.

 _It was good._ He took a second, and much larger, bite.

“Salted vanilla toffee cookies with chocolate chips.” Marian said while her hand hovered above the plate as if picking the picking the right cookie to eat was the most important thing to her at the moment. With a flash she grabbed a cookie and took a bite. She let out a satisfied noise. Both enjoyed their cookies in silence with a mutual understanding that you don’t need to talk when enjoying good food.

“I take back everything I said.” Blackwall said while reaching for another. “These are delicious and you don’t seem like the type of person that messes up anything.” Marian laughed lightly then frowned as she looked at the oven.

“This stupid thing. I called maintenance a few times, but that was a bust,” she said.

“I would offer to take at a look at it, but I probably wouldn’t be much help. I have the same model but I haven’t noticed any problems” He said with a twinge of sadness while also debating if it would be polite to take a third cookie.

“Eh,” she replied. “I can talk to the landlord about just letting me buy a new one. I already miss the stove from my last place.” Blackwall raised an eyebrow.

“Good luck convincing that grump to let you change anything,” he said. Marian started to laugh.

“Oh Blackwall,” she said still softly laughing. “My job is mostly convince people to do things they don’t think they want to do.”

“And that would be?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer. Marian placed both of her hands on the counter and leaned towards him.

“I convince rich people to give me their money so I can send it through charities.” She replied. Blackwall let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. “Have you ever tried to convince an elderly lady of the court to give you their money to fund music programs instead of spending it on a third diamond encrusted collar for her cat?”  

He laughed. “No, I can’t say that I have, but I’m sure you could convince an Orlesian that any old swill is the most expensive wine.”

“You would not be wrong. The secret to convincing most people anything is making them feel important.” She replied. Blackwall’s laughter abruptly slowed down. He knew very well how to make his way through the court and how to swindle anything he could. His fist tightened at his side and he sat there trying not to think about his past. _You’ve moved on._ If Marian noticed his change in demeanor she didn’t show it. She just stood up tall and walked towards her refrigerator.

“Can I get you anything?” She said while opening the fridge door and grabbing a pitcher of water.

“Just water would be fine,” he replied. She poured two glasses of water.

“Now, what do you do for a living, Blackwall?” She placed a glass in front of him.

“Nothing quite as exciting as you. I just work as a mechanic down the road.” He took a few gulps of water.

“Oh,” she said. “You just spend your days brooding over a car engine?” She smiled.

Blackwall scoffed. “I don’t brood.” Marian laughed.

“Oh sure, sure. The few times I’ve seen you you’ve been like a ray of sunshine!” She dramatically waved her hands above her head. Blackwall reluctantly chuckled.

“It’s hard to compete with your demeanor,” he said.

“I can’t turn it off!” She laughed. Blackwall wanted to ask more, but he stopped himself. Marian’s laughter ended abruptly and she looked him in the eye.

“Wait,” she said. He froze. “You wouldn’t happen to have co-workers that… wouldn’t mind the occasional baked good, right?” After a few seconds of silence blackwall burst out laughing.

“Maker,” he said between breathes. “I thought you were going to ask something much more serious.” After a few moments he collected himself and looked back at her.

“Yes, some of my fellow mechanics have quite the appetite. I don’t think Bull has ever turned down free food once in his life and it shows.”

“What kind of name is Bull?” She asked.

“I work at ‘The Iron Bull Mechanic’,” He tried to emphasize the name as much as possible. “It’s owned by the big qunari and he goes by ‘Bull’. For obvious reasons. I think it’s also his stage name, but I’m not quite sure.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a qunari face to face,” she said. “But, if they won’t mind free food I may have them be my latest test subjects.”

“Now you’ve got me worried,” Blackwall replied in a slightly mocking tone.

Marian exaggerated her tone as if she was playing a damsel in a play. “I was recently informally banned for bringing in too many of my baking experiments at my own workplace. All I wanted to do was try new things and share, but they cased me out. I’m sure a group of burly mechanics doing manual labor all day wouldn’t mind the treats.”

“The next time you make a batch of experiments I can pass them along.” The second he said that her eyes lit up.

“Wonderful!” she said. They continued to chat idly for another 20 minutes. Blackwall asked about her work and Marian asked him about places worth visiting in the neighborhood. Blackwall felt embarrassed that he wasn’t very helpful in that area. Some point during the conversation she glanced at clock.

“Unfortunately, I must you to leave.” Marian sighed. “I have a previously scheduled engagement.” She stood up and began to gather up items on a table near  
  
“I figured I’ve taken up enough of your time.” Blackwall said as he stood and walked to her door. “I had a wonderful time here. Thank you.” He began to turn the knob.

“Don’t think I haven’t forgotten your promise. Hopefully I can have this oven mess figured out soon.” She grabbed a phone from a small table near a door and a jacket from a hook in the wall. Blackwall smiled.

“Oh, I haven’t.” As he walked out he said one last “Good bye.”

“Have a wonderful evening,” she replied while simultaneously calling someone on her phone. The last view of her Blackwall say before entering his apartment was her talking on the phone while the elevator doors closed.  


Blackwall’s Sunday went by in a flash. At the end of the day he was surprised at how quickly it all went by. He started the day by going to the gym. Sunday morning was his favorite time to ge because it seemed like he had the whole place to himself; even though there was occasionally an elderly woman on a treadmill. Before noon he got a phone call from a local charity event organizer that they were short on hands for cleaning up the community garden. He originally replied ‘no’ weeks ago when he thought he would be working; he happily agreed to come help and left immediately. After a hard day’s work he decided to pick-up dinner from a local burger shack that always seemed pretty popular. He came home with a burger, fries, and milkshake and then spent the rest of the night watching TV. He didn’t hear a sound from his neighbor the whole day and tried to push his disappointment from his mind.

The next morning had a surprise in store for him. As he stepped outside he almost trampled a bag left outside his door. It was a light blue paper bag with a diamond pattern all over in white. Blackwall lifted the card tied to the handle of the bag.

_Enjoy!_

_-M_

 


	4. Chapter 4

He stood in front of his door holding the blue bag.  He opened it and a few rows of what seemed to be cookies. Did she already get her oven fixed? _Maker, she works fast if that’s the case_. He was thinking— Well, maybe he wasn’t thinking when he agreed to her offer. If he brought in this frilly bag he wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Maybe, just maybe everyone would be busy and not have time to ask questions.

Blackwall sighed as he walked towards the elevator with the bag. He spent the walk conjuring up scenarios and prying questions he would most likely have to answer. He stood in front of the entrance and took a deep breath. Before he was even through the door he heard a loud greeting.

“Oi, look who’s here!”

_Shit._

“Hello, Sera,” Blackwall replied. Sera was leaning over the front desk while Varric sat behind it looking through paperwork. _Maybe if I quickly drop the bag on the front desk I can make a quick exit to the locker room._

“Oooh, what’ca got there?!” Sera squealed. Varric looked up.

_Shit._

“I, uh,” Blackwall tried to sound casual. “My neighbor baked some things and asked if I could help her share.” He lifted up the bag and in a flash Sera nabbed it from him.

“Oooh! Cookies!” Sera eyes lit up.

“Could this be the mysterious neighbor we’ve heard almost nothing about?” Varric asked with an eyebrow raised.

“You’ve heard nothing about her,” Blackwall replied while plucking the bag out of Sera’s hand and placing it on the front desk, “because there was nothing to say. We only actually met over the weekend.”

“So, you finally learn this mysterious neighbors name?” Varric asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Marian,” Blackwall says as plainly as he can muster. “Marian— uh, Trevelyan” Suddenly the door to Bull’s office burst open.

“You mean one of **the** Trevelyans?” Varric asks.

“What do you mean?” Blackwall asks, confused. “Who are _the_ Trevelyans?”

“Old money,” Bull says loudly behind Blackwall and startling him.

“Maker’s ball! How long have you been listening?” Blackwall shouts. Bull brushes past him and head straight for the bag of treats. As he calmly deliberates which cookie to try he responds.

“When will you learn? I’m always listening.” Bull winks.

“Anyway” Varric interjects as Sera whips out her phone while loudly chewing another cookie. “There a big deal up in the Free Marches. I think they’re from Ostwick, but they’ve done a lot of business in Kirkwall. While I was there you couldn’t go a season without hearing about a new Trevelyan project being built. Then months and months of construction.”  
  
“So we’re talking old money?” Bull asks.

“Very old money,” Varric replies.

“More like pretty money,” Sera says gleefully. And, everyone turns to face her. “Is this pretty little thing her?.” She held up her phone showing what looked like a family photo. Marian was standing tall next a man who, based on their matching eyes and hair color, must be her brother. Standing next to her would be her mother, and even though she was smiling it seemed like she usually scowled. And, that man to the left must be her father; that must be where she gets her eyes. Marian was wearing a red, floor-length gown with a neckline that exposed her shoulders while the bottom part of the dress cascaded into large ruffles. Her hair done up in a spectacular fashion and she wore red lipstick.

Varric and Bull came to look at the photo and turned their heads to hear his answer.

“I— uh,” Blackwall stuttered. “I think it must be. They certainly look alike.”

“Oh ho ho!” Varric said as he nudged Blackwall side. Bull and Sera joined in the jeering. “Looks like our hero is going after nobility!”

Blackwall immediately stepped away.

“Wait,” He said. “I’m not going after _anyone_ . She’s my neighbor and a nice person so she invited me over to talk. That’s all. End of discussion.” _If she knew what you were she would never look your way again_. Blackwall shook those thoughts out of his head.

“Right,” Varric replied.

Blackwall scoffed. “If you don’t knock that off I won’t be bringing anymore of her treats.” His slight smile gave away his bluff but Sera stuff a few more cookies into her pockets. Bull followed suit.

“Alright, everyone.” Bull said. “Enough fun teasing, let’s get back to work”

“Yeah!” Sera interjected.

“Shouldn’t you be at your work?” Varric asked.

Before he got sucked into another conversation about Sera’s bosses being “twits” Blackwall turned to the locker room and got ready for work.

* * *

 

Blackwall tried to not notice that he hardly saw Marian the rest of the week. He wasn’t seeing flashes of long light brown hair in the corner of his eyes walking down the street. He wasn’t holding his breath before opening his door incase there was another gift for him. And, he certainly wasn’t sitting on his porch drinking a beer more than before; he clearly just wanted to enjoy the warmer weather.

After feeling a bit of cabin fever he decides to use the gym at the bottom of the apartment building. Changing into a white t-shirt, black shorts, and headphones he enters the gym and it’s very empty. Most of the tenants workout in the evening and he’s glad for the space. After a few rounds of squats he’s a bit frustrated that he’s unable to lift his previous maximum weight and vows to get back into the swing of things. He sits on a bench to drink water and rub the back of neck. He lifts the bottom of his t-shirt to wipe his face clean then stands to put his weights back on rack.

Someone else is in the gym. At first he dismisses it but after a second glance he realizes it’s Marian on a treadmill. He hardly notices her since she’s dressed down in a tanktop and shorts and her hair is pulled back in a ponytail. She meets his glance and smiles. After he reciprocates she goes back to focusing on her exercise.

As he walks out he realizes that she chose the treadmill that’s behind the rack he was using. In the elevator he tries to think why. _It’s probably her regular one and you’re reading too much into it. Don’t be foolish._

* * *

 

Bull asked him to come in Saturday to help with a bit of their backlog and he happily agrees. Thanks to the extra set of hands they're back on schedule and he's dismissed a bit after noon. He steps on to the sidewalk in jeans and a dark blue t-shirt and takes a minute to stretch his shoulders.

“Oh, Blackwall! Hi!” He hears. He turns to figure out who is calling his name. To his surprise it’s Marian lightly jogging over to him. Her hair is in a fishtail braid she's wearing an off-shoulder sundress with vertical stripes of light pink, green, and white, white sunglasses, and white sandals with heels.

“Fancy seeing you here,” She smiles. “Is this where you work?”

“Yeah, they needed some extra hands this morning so I volunteered.”

“I feel like we hardly see each other even though we're neighbors.” She says. _Does she like spending time with me? Does she miss--_

 _“_ Marian, darling.” a man comes up behind her. “If I’m not mistaken, which I rarely am, it was you who insisted I visit you so you could show me your lovely new neighborhood. And you suddenly abandon me in the middle of the street.”

 _Darling? Could this be her boyfriend?_ The man was tall and tan. His face was accented by perfectly styled hair and a mustache. He was wearing light beige slacks and a tight fitting orange striped shirt. He tried to fight the urge to be jealous that they made a cute couple.

“Dorian, don't be rude. This is my friend and neighbor Blackwall.” She gestured to him.

“Dorian, charmed I'm sure.” He reached out his hand. Blackwall reached out his for a firm handshake.

“We were about to get lunch,” Marian said. “ would you like to join us?”

“I'd hate to impose,” He said.

“Nonsense!” Dorian interjected. “I'm sure if you join us Marian will take us to a much better place. She likes to think I'm a cheap date.”

“Cheap is the last word I would use to describe you”

“The why do you take me to worst bars in Thedas?” Dorian asks.

“Because, you get so disgruntled but you still drink heavily anyway.” She laughs.

“Anyway,” Blackwall tries to say.

“And we’re off to lunch!” Marian shouts as she grabs both men by their arms and drags them off to eat. Blackwall was getting hungry anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... uhhhh... yeah... I started this with the intention of writing during downtime of my desk job. And, of course, after I started I ended up getting laid off. It took me awhile to figure everything out but I was thinking about what I was going to do in this story in the back of my mind. So here's hoping that I can keep making this a regular thing. I'll probably also try to write a few smutty oneshots just to get more practice in before this slow burn ends. Sorry for the long wait!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow! Seeing all of you reading and giving this work kudos is super surprising. Thank you so much!

The wound up in a small cafe and bakery a few blocks from their apartment building. The decor was very white which really made the colorful display case of desserts stand out. Dorian and Marian’s outfits made them fit right in. While Blackwall felt a bit underdressed for the occasion. They sat next a large window facing the sidewalk.

Blackwall and Dorian ordered coffee and Marian ordered tea. Blackwall cleared his throat to try and feel less like a third wheel.

“So Dorian, how do you know Marian?”

“We work at the same company.” Dorian responded.

“Does your job involve charity work too?” Blackwall asked and Dorian laughed.

“Heavens no! The Inquisition is a rather large company. Marian works for the charity foundation and I slave away in the magic research and development sector. It’s kind of a small miracle we even met in that large building.”

“The Inquisition?” Blackwall asked.

“It’s a miraculously big company,” Marian said. “They seem to have their hand in almost anything Ferelden. With quite a bit of outreach in Orlais.”

“Yes, yes,” Dorian responded. “But their main goal is improving the lives of everyone in Thedas.”

“That’s a hefty goal.” said Blackwall.

“There’s an incredible amount of oversight.” Marian said. “If I want to do anything really big I have to go through several department heads for approval. And I know Dorian gets a lot of pressure the end of nearly every quarter to show improvement.”

“I think there are other reasons they pressure me so much. They think the terrifying ‘Vint is doing horrible things in the shadows!”

“I’m not sure I know what you are talking about.” Blackwall said confused.

Marian said, “To put it lightly, not that long ago Tevinter had very, um, _relaxed_ rules when it came to studying magic.”

“Dear, the word you are looking for is _highly_ unethical.” Dorian corrected. “Up until 50 years ago, or so, most of the Tevinter schools, laboratories, or other institutions were allowed free reign. As long as their experiments were explicitly for furthering the study of magic.” Dorian said.

“Say what you will about the chantry’s hold on magic over here, at least they never allowed experiments on children.” Marian said softly into her tea.

“Children?” Blackwall said, while barely masking his dislike.

“Yes, Tevinter was full of scary mages that kidnap children to experiment on them.” Dorian said in a mocking tone. “Now it’s all very ethical and they are trying to reshape their image to the world, but there is still the stigma. I swear they think that one day I’m going to propose an experiment on electrifying frogs to make them gay and letting them loose in the wild or something!”

Blackwall laughed, “That would certainly be something.” He noticed that Marian was looking around rather nervously before standing up.

“Don’t mind me. I’ll be right back.” She said in a chipper tone of voice.

“Is every ok?” Blackwall asked.

“Oh, everything is fine.” She responded before turning and walking away.

“Just you wait,” Dorian said. “She’s going to get carbs. She knows how I feel about them. That’s probably why she brought you along.” Blackwall suddenly felt very imposing.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to be a third wheel on your date. I—”

“Date?!” Dorian scoffed. “Oh that’s marvelous!” After a few moments of laughing Dorian calmed down while Blackwall felt embarrassed.

“Marian is a lovely woman, but we are just good friends. In fact, despite how beautiful she is she’s not my cup of tea.” Before Blackwall had a chance to ask a follow-up question Marian appeared with a tray of food.

“Ah!” Dorian exclaimed. “I knew you brought this brute with us so you could get carbs. You wicked woman.” The tray contained a small, sliced loaf of bread with two cheeses, a slice of a fruit tart with whipped cream, and a slice of chocolate cake along with a few small plates, and utensils.

“They make everything in-house. I want to support them.” Marian said innocently. “And of course I didn’t want Blackwall to miss out.” She smiled as she handed him a plate and fork. He noticed that since he last was this close to her she had gotten a bit of a tan. Her cheeks were dotted with freckles and while trying to decide what to try first his eyes keep looking at the other clusters of freckles on her shoulders. _What would it be like to taste them?_

_No. Don’t think like that._

He opted to first try some bread and cheese, while Dorian begrudgingly took a part of the chocolate cake, and Marian tried a piece of the fruit tart. He tried to not notice her tongue darting out to lick whipped cream off of her lips. He reached for his own piece of the tart.

“Everything is amazing. You have excellent taste, Marian.” Blackwall said after carefully finishing the tart. The last thing he wanted to get food in his beard in front of her.

“I must admit it too. You’ve outdone yourself.” added Dorian. She smiled.

“It’s been a delight exploring this neighborhood. I’ve found so many wonderful places. What about you Blackwall? You must know a few hole-in-the wall places around here?”  
  
_Shit._ “I—” He tried to think quick. _You’ve lived here how long and can’t even think of a coffeeshop or restaurant?_ “I’m a bit of a homebody myself. Never really had the time or energy to explore until recently. I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“Well,” Marian replied. “If you ever feel like being adventurous let me know. I can find you someplace we could try out.”

 _Is that an invitation?_ Before he could reply a large shadow was cast over him and a familiar booming voice sounded behind him.

“I thought that was you, Blackwall.” Bull said. Blackwall tried to not look startled.

“Why you must be Bull.” Marian said. She stood up to shake his hand. “I’m Marian. It’s nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Bull responded. Blackwall tried to hide his dred. Why did his co-workers like to meddle in his life so much?

“This is my friend Dorian,” Marian said as she gestured to him. Dorian made no motion to stand and greet Bull. He just waved his hand in response. “Would you like to sit with us? I’m sure we could find a chair.”

“Nah, I’m alright. I was just stopping to say hi. I don’t really fit the decor of this place well.”

Blackwall looked up to notice that nearly everyone was trying to get a look at the Qunari. Some seemed curious while others looked very upset.

“Anyway,” Bull said as if oblivious to the stares. “Blackwall, I wanted to ask you if you were free Saturday.” He turned to Marian.

“You see, my friend Dalish is a DJ and is performing at a club near here.” Blackwall knew the details. Bull had asked him about ten times today at work if he wanted to go. Blackwall refused, but now Bull was forcing his hand.

“If you’d like to come I can put your name on the list and there’s no cover charge.”

“That sounds fun,” Marian said with a smile.

 _Shit._ The last thing Blackwall wanted was Marian alone with Varric or Bull. Or, even worse Sera.

Blackwall said, “I’d be interested too.” Bull turned to him and was giving him a shit-eating grin. _You played right into his hands. You idiot._

“Wonderful,” said Marian. “Blackwall can send me the details and I’ll see you then. Can I invite some friends?”

“As long as their more fun than the friend you’ve got here.” Bull joked, but Dorian sat there with his arms crossed. Marian pulled out her phone and handed it to Blackwall. She had pulled up a “new contact” page and Blackwall promptly entered his info.

“Well, I’m happy I ran into you, Blackwall.” Bull said as he waved goodbye with that grin still plastered on his face. He felt his pocket buzz because Marian sent him a text with her information. Maybe this wouldn’t turn out to be as worse as he thought.

_Who are you kidding?_


	6. Chapter 6

The next week passed by too fast and too slow at the same time. When he was at work hours flew by, but the moment his shift ended and he saw his phone's notification light blinking time froze. More often than not it was just Sera asking to borrow something else or Bull talking about work. But, once in awhile it was Marian.

He had sent her more information about the club and what time to arrive. He asked about carpooling or even just walking there together.

_“I’ll be arriving with some of my friends/co-workers, but I wouldn’t say no to an escort to my apartment. Someone will have to scare away the vagrants.”_

_“Sounds like I’m the right man for that job.”_

“What are you smiling so much about?” Bull’s voice startled Blackwall and he hurried to put his phone away. Was he really smiling that much?

“Just thinking about how you are forcing me to go out this weekend.”

“I didn’t force you. I just asked your cute friends if they wanted to go.” Bull smiled.

“After I repeatedly told you I didn’t want to go.” Blackwall picked up his tools and started working on the next car. Thankfully it was just a simple oil change.

“If you really didn’t want to go you would have still said ‘no’ even after I asked your new friends.” Bull paused. “Are all of Marian’s friends as attractive as that one she was with?” Blackwall sighed, unfortunately getting back to work wouldn’t stop Bull’s questions.

“I wouldn't know. That was the first friend I met.”

“Probably,” Bull said. “Beautiful people tend to flock together.”

“Don’t you have work to do?” Blackwall asked with a slightly frustrated tone.

“Isn't that my line?” Bull said as he headed back to his office.  


* * *

 

The music was _loud_ **,** he could feel the bass vibrating the floor underneath him. Blackwall didn't know why his friends insisted on getting to the club so early.

Actually, he did know why. They wanted to get him drunk. Despite their insisting he managed to nurse his first beer for almost an hour. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sera bringing a round of shots.

“No,” He said flatly.

“You twit!” Sera replied. “Who said these for you?! I only get drinks for people that aren't broody about girls.”

“I'm not.” He groaned. “Why did you insist on getting here so early?” He felt out of place and old. He didn't even know what to wear; he had settled on a pair of dark jeans and gray t-shirt that was starting to feel too tight and constricting. Sera at least looked like she fit in here. She wore tight black jeans and a torn black band shirt. Despite her usual aversion to wearing make-up her eyes were smudged with black eyeliner.

“Because,” Bull interjected behind him. “We wanted to get that stick out of your ass before your lady arrived.

“She’s not—” Blackwall tried to say before Sera held up a shot glass in front of his face. He sighed and took the glass from the looks of it, it was most likely vodka. Varric, Sera, and Bull lifted their glasses and looked at him.

He was outnumbered. He lifted his glass; then they all took a swig.

Yup, vodka. Cheap vodka. He coughed, he wasn’t expecting the burn.

“If you want the good stuff, you gotta pay for it!” Sera snapped and snatched the glass out of his hand.

“Perfect timing,” said Bull. Marian poked through the crowd of people on the way to the bar. She was looking behind leading a group of people. When she parted the crowd Blackwall finally saw her.

Her hair was tied back in another elaborate braid. She had smoky eyeshadow and dark lipstick on. Her dress matched her lipstick and seemed fairly conservative compared to other outfits he’d seen tonight. Well, even though it had a high neckline, long sleeves, and ended just above the knee it was sinfully tight. It left very little to Blackwall’s imagination and when she moved he realized that there was a slit cut in the front of her leg that went all the up to her mid thigh.

_Maker…_

“I figured the pairs of horns in here would be you, Bull” Marian said cheerfully as ever. “I hope we aren’t late.” Blackwall felt Sera slap his back as if to break him out of a trance. _Was he staring?_

“Not at all,” Blackwall said. “These goons just like to be early to the party. You’ve met Bull. This is my friend Varric.” and on cue  Varric held out his hand to greet her. “And Sera.” She just waved.

“Wonderful to meet you.” Marian said. “Bull and Blackwall, you’ve met Dorian.” He stepped forward in a pair of slacks and short-sleeved collared shirt.

“This is Josephine,” Marian motioned to her friend with dark skin and her hair flowing down her shoulders in loose curls. Her dress hung off her shoulders and a large ruffle around the neckline with layers of ruffles down the sleeves. The rest of the dress practically clung to her body.

“Leliana,” she had light red hair and bright red lipstick almost seemed to shine contrasted with her short black dress.

“Cassandra, and, last but not least, Cullen.” These two were both wearing identical black trousers and white button-down shirts, it seems like they had similar work uniforms and didn’t want to change. Cullen only had the top button undone and Cassandra had a two or three more undone, revealing a white undershirt. They looked to be the most sensible of the group.

Everyone said their hellos and the new arrivals headed towards the bar.

“A round of shots on me.” declared Marian. Blackwall kept trying to avoid looking her way. Whenever he did he couldn't help but stare. He was jolted when Marian began tapping his shoulder with a salt shaker. He was confused until he saw the bartender cutting up limes.

“I'm afraid to admit how long it's been since I've done a tequila shot.” He said. Marian smiled.

“Do you need a refresher?” she said.

“Salt, shot, and lime.” He replied.

“Perfect. You're going to be fine.” Her smile beamed.

Blackwall licked his hand,  poured some salt, and passed the shaker on to Sera. A moment later he was given his lime and his shot. The ladies began the countdown. He followed suit and was surprised that the alcohol didn't burn the way he remembered. he guessed Marian sprung for something a bit nicer.

After getting another drink from the bartender Marian leaned into to ear to whisper in Blackwall’s ear.

“I opened a tab, you can use it if you like.”

Blackwall realized this was the closest he’s ever been to her and before he could get over that realization and say ‘no thanks’ she was heading towards the dancefloor and he was stunned by something else.

Her dress was backless. From the top of her shoulder blades to her lower back was exposed, except for a few decorative straps of fabric that criss-cross her lower back. If he had been taking a drink he surely would have spit it out.

_She’s going to be the death of me._

While Blackwall was lost in his dangerous train of thought Cullen sat down next to him and offered out his hand. After a moment Blackwall shook it in return. While Blackwall felt dark and bleak; Cullen seemed to shine. His golden hair, golden eyes, and glowing skin. He seemed blissfully unaware that women all over the bar were looking at him. It felt like a cruel joke and like his past was mocking him.

“Nice to meet you, Cullen. Right?” Blackwall said.

“Yeah, it’s nice to put the face to the name, Blackwall” Cullen replied.

“Marian talks about me that much?” Blackwall asked.

“Well,” Cullen rubbed the back of his neck. “When we, well I, heard she was moving to a different part of city I was worried. We all work together and lived close enough to check up on each other for quite some time. I know she can take care of herself, but sometimes a friend is going to worry no matter what. And then..” He drifted off.

“Then what?”

“She mentioned you helping her out moving in and just being a nice guy. It’s not much, but it helps knowing she’s got someone watching her back over there.”

Blackwall hoped the phrase ‘watching her back’ wasn’t intentional since he was actively avoiding looking in her direction due to that damn dress. He decided to risk a look and saw the three of them finishing their drinks. It looked like Leliana offered to grab the next round as she took their empty glasses back to the bar. She wasn’t even a few steps away before two men approached and started dancing very close to Marian and Josephine. Their faces changed from happy and light-hearted to annoyed as they moved farther away.

Cullen must have been watching the exchange too, because when the guys didn’t get the message and moved closer again he let out a sigh at the same time as Blackwall.

They exchanged glances, Cullen shook his head and Blackwall chuckled softly, as they stood up and approached the “gentlemen”.

“Alright,” Blackwall said. “Move along they are clearly not interested.”  The intruding men’s faces instantly soured.

“Hey man, we’re just here for a good time.” One of the men said.

“And, you’re ruining our friends’ good time by hovering around them.” Cullen replied.

“They didn’t say nothing!” The other man interjected.

“I was about to tell you to piss off!” Marian shouted.

“Maybe you shouldn’t dress like _fucking sluts_ if you don’t—” Before he finished that sentence Blackwall grabbed the jerk by his shirt and pulled him towards himself.

“You listen here,” He talked low and menacing. “Anyone with half a brain could see these ladies weren’t interested. Now, move along.” The man or his friend didn’t move or many any retort and Blackwall was about to let go until,

“Fuck you, old man!” He shouted. Blackwall instantly used his other hand to pull him even closer. He wasn’t thinking and would have done something he would regret, but the sound of Bull’s footsteps grew closer.

“What’s going on here?” Bull said in his authoritative voice. He stood there with his arms crossed; Leliana and Sera appeared from behind him holding another round of of drinks. Blackwall took a deep breath and let go of the punk’s shirt.

“We’re not doing nothing” the other man shouted. They didn’t know Bull wasn’t actually a bouncer here, but he played the part wonderfully.

“Yeah, we’ll be on our way.” and they scurried away quickly.

“I figured I should bring the Qunari in for back-up.” Leliana said with a smile.

“Good call,” Cullen replied. “I’m still going to talk to security so they know to keep some eyes on those two.” As Cullen walked away he noticed Sera was holding another round of shots in her hand. He thought about declining, but he knew Sera would make a scene. He took the small glass and it looked orange when he held it up to a light. Sera held up her glass and every clinked with the people near them. Blackwall turned to Marian and she raised her glass. They hit glasses and took the shot.

It tasted like cinnamon and pure sugar. It was ghastly but at least the cinnamon taste overpowered any other aftertaste that usually accompanied Sera’s alcohol choices.

“I hope you didn’t tell Sera about your tab.” Blackwall said leaning towards Marian.

She leaned in closer.

“I just told my girl friends,” she paused. “And you.”

He leaned back to look at her face.

“Why?” He asked, genuinely curious. She looked down into the empty glass in her hand.

“You just looked like you could use some cheering up.” She answered. Then she looked back up to him. “I didn’t want to assume, but not everyone can afford a big night out. I thought if I relieved you of some financial pressure it would help.”

Blackwall laughed, “I forgot I was in the presence of royalty.”  


“Hey!” She playfully shouted “I’m just nobility.” After a moment her eyebrow raised.

“How did you know I was nobility?”

 _Shit._ He wasn’t in the right headspace to concoct any elaborate reason. So, for now, he settled for the truth. He leaned in close to her ear.

“I have very nosy co-workers.”

Marian pulled back, Blackwall couldn’t tell if her cheeks just now got brighter or if it was from the dancing and the drinks.

“I have nosy co-workers as well.” For an instant Blackwall felt panicked, but her smile eased his worry. “Unfortunately, you don’t seem to have any elaborate family portraits laying around on the internet.”

Blackwall wanted to think of a witty response, but Sera burst into their conversation.

“Give me your empty glasses, ya lovebirds!” As she snatched the empty glasses out of their hands.

For a moment the pair just stood there. Looking at each other, as if they were too frightened to acknowledge Sera’s remark. Blackwall spoke up first.

“I guess I should take advantage of that tab before the offer is rescinded.” He motioned towards the bar.

“The instant I find out you’re related to the Empress of Orlais your free rides are over.” She Laughed.

* * *

 The pair fiercely declined the next round of shots and Bull gladly took them for them. They opted for cocktails they could slowly consume.

The lights darkened and it looked like Dalish’s set was about to start. Even though they were shouting over the music Blackwall learned that Josephine worked for the PR department of The Inquisition, Cullen and Cassandra were higher-ups in security, and Leliana was rather vague about what her position entailed. After a few unanswered questions he dropped the subject.

_Maybe I’d rather not know._

“I’ll be right back!” Marian said abruptly as she got up and left.

“You need any company?” Leliana asked.

“I’m just going to the bathroom. Just watch my drink, please.” She replied. Blackwall slid her drink directly in front of him so that it wouldn’t be out of his sight. He continued to make idle conversation with Marian’s friends. They all had an interesting story about how they met Marian. Cullen seemed to be the only person she knew from college.

He couldn’t tell if it was the flashing light messing with his head or if Marian was actually talking to Varric down the bar. He was sitting in a stool by the bar and she was leaning over as if she was trying to talk into his ear. Blackwall shook his head to clear his thoughts and then he saw Marian walking towards them again.

_I’ve probably had enough._

He checked his phone and the time read half past midnight. He had no idea what was considered late these days, but it was beginning to wear on him. He didn’t want to cut Marian’s night short though.

He finished his drink and when he noticed Marian’s was getting low he leaned in to speak into her ear.

“I’d hate to cut your night short, but I might have to call it a night.” He tried to gauge her response.

“I was about to say the same thing.” She replied. “I was planning an work event for most of today.”

Blackwall checked his clock. It was getting close to 1. At least he didn’t have to start feeling old any time soon.

Marian finished her drink and closed her tab. Blackwall tried to ignore the looks his friends were giving him behind Marian’s back.

_I just promised to walk her home._

The walk was rather uneventful. It was still warm enough that even at night it was warm. Marian didn’t seem cold in her dress, and even if she did Blackwall didn’t have a coat to offer her. Despite how cliched that sounded. Blackwall felt his ears ringing a bit, but they talked about work and tomorrow’s plans.

“I kept an open schedule.” Blackwall said. “I don’t recover from nights like this as easily as I once did.”

“Oh really?” Marian asked. “You, Blackwall, a party animal?” He laughed.

“Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago. Those days are behind me.”

“That’s a shame, I wondered if I was ever going to see you out on the dancefloor. And not just to save young ladies.”

“I don’t know many of your new dances. If you could even call it that anymore.” He teased. She laughed. Once they got to the apartment building Marian fell silent. Blackwall wondered why. Maybe she was tired.

It wasn’t until they were a few doors away from their apartments Marian sped up in front of Blackwall and quickly reached her hand across the hall and stood in front of his door.

“Would you like to come inside for a drink?” She asked.

It took Blackwall a moment to process what she was saying. This couldn’t be real. He looked at her face. She was illuminated by the bright light above her. Her cheeks were still bright from the alcohol, her lipstick was faded from her drinks, but her eyes…

Her eyes were dark, lustful, and determined. Only after her eyebrows raised with a look of concern could Blackwall speak.

“I would love to, but” He paused. What was he doing? “I can’t. It’s not right.”

“I didn’t want you to think you were taking advantage of me. I wanted to be upfront.” She replied.

“It’s not that.” He assured her. “Maker, it’s kind of that. But, other than that there is a long list of reasons I shouldn’t go with you.”

“Oh…” was all she could say.

“It’s entirely my fault, I’m sorry if I led you on.”

Her gaze dropped to the floor and she dropped her arm. She walked back around him to get to her door.

“Good night, Marian.” He said and she looked up, but he could not return her gaze. He was afraid if he took one more glance he would change his mind. She stepped inside her apartment and just before closing the door she said.

“Good night, Blackwall. Thank you, for everything.”

The door closed and he heard the lock. He just stood there trying to process what happened.

“Fuck!” he whispered harshly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I'm not dead. This chapter was inspired by real life events: when you break the women trifecta the men begin to swarm.


End file.
